Coupler



March 23 1926. 1,577,512

A. H. ANDERSON COUPLER Filed April 17, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Albert H .Anderson A. H. ANDERSON COUPLER Filed April 17, 1925 z w F Ma h 23 1926.

Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES ALZBERT H. ANDERSON, F WOODSFIELD, OHIO.

.COUPLER.

Applicationfiled April 17, 1925. Serial No. 23,892.

To all whom it may concern: Be it" known that I, ALBERT H. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing; at VVood'sfield, in the county of Monroe and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Coupler, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention aims to provide novel means whereby sections of well casing, which have broken apart in the earth, may

be connected, so that the lower section can be pulled out along with the upper section.

A preferred form has been shown, but a mechanic, working within the scope of what is claimed, may make changes without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawingFigure 1 shows in elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section wherein parts are in elevation; Figures 3, 4 and are cross sections taken, respectively, on the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 55 of Figure 1; Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper end of {)he device; Figure 7 is a perspective of the ail.

The numeral 1 marks a main tubular member provided near to its upper end with an upwardly and outwardly inclined portion 2 and provided near to its lower end with a downwardly and outwardly inclined portion 3. Jaws 4 are dove-tailed at 5 to the part 2 of the member 1 to slide thereon, longitudinally of the member 1. Lower jaws 6, constructed like the upper jaws 4, are dove-tailed at 7 to the part 3 of the member 1 to slide longitudinally of the member 1. The lower ends of outwardly expansible resilient stops 12 are secured to the member 1, and are in the formof bowed springs having outstanding projections 14.

There is a bushing 8 in the upper end of the member 1. A hollow plunger 9 is slidable longitudinally in the bushing 8 and is splined at 10 into the bushing, against rotation therein. The plunger 9 is equipped at its upper end with any suitable means 90, whereunto a line (not shown) or other suspension element, may be connected. The plunger 9 has circumferential ribs which steady the sliding movement of the plunger in the member 1.

A slide is mounted for reciprocation on the parts 1 and 9, the slide comprising a ring disposed about the member 1, a ring 16 about the plunger 9, and connections 17 between the rings, the. connections being mounted to move in longitudinal slots 18 in the member'l. Links'19 are joined at their lower endstothe ring 15 and are connected, pivotally or otherwise, to the upper jaws 4. The numeral 20 designates a bail including a shank 21 and arms 22, the shank. being located inside the member 9, andthearms 22 extending outwardly through slots/23 in the member 9, the arms terminating in eyes 24 receiving the connections 17 and located between the ring 16 and the inner surface of the tubular member 1. An operating means 25 of any desired sort is connected to an eye 26 at the upper end of the shank 21 of the bail 20.

A lower slide is provided and is constructed like the upper slide hereinbetore referred to, the outer ring of the lower slide being marked by the numeral 27, the inner ring by the numeral 28, and one of the connections between the rings being shown at 29. A compression spring 30 surrounds the plunger 9 and bears against the ring 28 of the lower slide, the spring engaging an abutment 31 on the plunger 9. Links 32, constructed like the links 19, join the outer ring 27 of the lower slide to the lower jaws 6.

The numerals 33 and 34 designate two pipe sections which have parted in the earth, as shown in Figure 1. The device hereinbefore described is lowered until the spring stops 12 expand, the projections 14 engaging the upper end of the pipe or casing 34. This stops the downward movement of the member 1. The plunger 9 moves downwardly, due to its weight, the spring 30 transmits movement to the slide 2827, the links 32 carrying the lower jaws 6 downwardly, those aws moving outwardly on the inclined part 3 of the member 1 and gripping the lower pipe section 34. An upward pull on the suspension means 25-20 raises the upper slide 1517-16, the links 19 raising the upper jaws 4, the said jaws moving outwardly on the inclined portion 2 of the member 1 and gripping the pipe section 33. The pipe section 33 now may be pulled up, taking with it the pipe section 34. The harder-thepull on the pipe section 33, the more securely will the jaws 4 grip it, and, in the same way, the more securely will the jaws 6 grip the pipe section 34.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1- 1. In a device of the class described, a

main tubular member having upper and lower inclined portions, a lower jaw slidable on the lower inclined portion of the main member, an upper jaw slidable on the upper inclined portion of the main member, a hollow plunger slidable in the main member, means for connecting the plunger with the lower jaw, to move the lower jaw longituclinally of the main member and to cause the lower jaw to move outwardly, and means lo cated partly within the plunger and con nected to the upper jaw to move the upper jaw longitudinally of the main member and to cause the upper jaw to move outwardly, the main member being provided with an outwardly expansible stop located between the jaws.

2. In a device of the class described, a

main tubular member having an inclined portion and provided with longitudinal slots, a hollow plunger slidable in the main member and having longitudinal slots, jaws slidable on the inclined portion of the main member, an outer ring slidable on the main member, links connecting the ring with the jaws, an inner ring slidable on the plunger, connections uniting the rings and slidable in the slots of the main member, and mechanism for operating the rings, said mechanism being assembled with the connections, and being extended into the plunger through the slots therein.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature.

ALBERT H. ANDERSON. 

